Community Meeting - "Studio STEM" by Michael Evans

Studio STEM is designed as an out-of-school experience for middle school students to find meaning and identity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in an integrative fashion. To illustrate, I will present in-depth case studies of Ryan (an eleven-year-old girl) and Sam (a thirteen-year-old boy), two middle school-age youth who participated in a summer camp co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and ICAT. These rich descriptions focus on how Sam and Ryan interacted with the designed elements of Studio STEM and whether these elements inspired them to think more deeply about the science concepts at hand. Results suggest how individual interest-driven niches are formed inside the larger educational setting, how informal learning practices could be adopted in formal settings, and how aspects of youth’s STEM literacy could promote environmental sustainability through ideation, invention, and creativity.

We welcome any interested students/faculty/community members to join this meeting, and enjoy coffee/pastries from the Next Door Bake Shop!